Electrical switch



1,623,954 April l2, 1927. H K ANSINGH ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed Sept. l. 1921 6 /3 22/8 Z0 E4 E Figa.

WITNEssEs: 4 3 lNvENToR Patented Apr. l2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

HERMAN RIMBALI. A NsINGH, OF IvIUERAYsvILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNOR To4 wEsTINofHOUsE` ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

. Application led September 1, 1921.- Serial' No. 497,475.

My invention relates to electrical switches and more especially to switches of the plug t Y e.

yIt* is among the objects of this invention to provide a plug contact member that is rigidly supported, yet possesses ample movement and flexibility to insure efficient electrical contact when brought into percussive or impact-like engagement with the co-opcrating contact fingers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a resilient mounting for the flexible contact fingers which co-operate with the plug contact.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a flexible supporting member to reinforce the conductor elements connecting the plug Contact member to the terminal base.

A switch of this type generally consists of a movable and a stationary member, the stationary member usually constitutingthe plug contact member and being flex1bly mounted to a terminal base and the movable member consisting of a pair of contact fingers which are adapted to engage the plug Contact member.

Heretofore, the plug contact member conssting of a semi-round or convex shape copper terminal was secured to a switchboard by its lead or conductor connections only,

v these being r-einforced by steel spring members to provide a rigid extension of the plug member away from its mounting or base so as to provide a cushion contact between said plug member and the coacting sw1tch member. This construction, however, did not prevent the distortion of the connecting means in instances when severe impact was applied to the contact member and very often the connecting leads were caused to buckle and become twisted because of the lack of a more rigid support.

My present invention obviates these difficulties in that it provides a rigid and secure mounting for the'plug Contact member that allows lateral and angular movement of the contact member without imparting impact stresses to the connecting leads.

In practicing my invention, I provide a supporting member having projecting arms for pivotally mounting the projecting plug bracket or the like.

contact member which may be secured to a suitable mounting, such asa switchboard The contact member is provided with an elongated slot adapted to slide von a supporting pin member which extends through the proJecting supports or braces so as to permit lateral movement thereon. The contact member is connected by a flexible conductor to a bus-bar' terminal or the like. The flexible connection may consist of a plurality of superposed laminations of copper having a plurality of sprinor steel reinforcing members such as round spring rods which are disposed between lthe copper laminations and jointly secured therewith to a projecting portion of the plug contact member and a flat copper terminal lead. The contact fingers, which are of the flexible type, are secured to a movable member in the usual manner as by bolts.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which like reference characters designatelike parts,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a switch clonin cross section of the finger contacts flexibly mounted in a supportin bracket.

I provide a base memv er 1 having a pair of supporting columns 2 extending there-,

from which may be secured to a mounting bracket 3 by bolts or screws 4. The columns 2 are each providedwith a circular opening 5 at their extended ends in alinement with each other which are adapted to receive a pin member 6 for mounting or supporting a plug contact member 7. The contact member is connected by a flexible member 8 to a terminal lead 1l secured to the base 1 by a suitable bolt 12. The flexible members 8 consistof a plurality of copper laminatiens reinforced by spring steel rods 9 which are secured by rivets 10 to the members 11 and 7 respectively. The member 7 is provided with an elongated openin or `slovt- 13 through which the pin 6 exten s to provide lateral movement of the member 7 l elements transversely to the supporting members 2. 'lhe piu 6 is secured in the supports 2 by Cotter pins 14.

The movable member of the switch consists of a pair of contact fingers l5 and 1,6 connected to a terminal 17 through a plurality o'l' fiexible copper laminations 1S and secured to, the latter by rivets 19. A plurality ot' leaf springs 2() are disposed on cach side of the copper 18 to apply spring pressure to the fingers which are free to move outwardly by reason of their flexible connection to the terminal 17. 'lhe abutting shoulders 21 and 22 of the member 17 prevent thc fingers and 16 from closing and maint-ain a substantially V-shaped opening between them. The assembled members are secured by bolts 23 and 24 in the usual manner.

Additional fiexibility of the movable contact member may be secured by providing a flared opening 25 in the base member 26 for receiving a flexible copper bar 27 which connects the terminal member 17 to the base member 26.

By bringing the movable member consisting of the finger contacts 15 and 16 in engagement with the stationary member or plug contact 7, the plug member 7 will aline itself with the contact surfaces of the fingers 15 and 16 irrespective of its normal or neutral position.

It is readily seen that the stresses occurring around the engaging surface of the contact member 7 are concentratedV on the supporting pin 6 and thereby prevent any undue strains on the flexible mounting 8 and that the pivotal mounting` thereby provided allows ample movement of the contact member 7 to permit its alinement with the engaging surfaces of the contact fingers.

It is readily seen from the description of my invention that this construction provides a durable, flexible and rigid mounting that is simple in structure and that is relatively inexpensive in that it operates to reduce the maintenance cost ofthe switch Although I have described the s ecifc embodiment of my invention. it w1l1 be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction. For instance, the supporting columns may be arranged in any suitable manner as by extending the base member vertically from the support and extending the supporting columns vertically therefrom to engage the contact members which may be provided with projecting lugs in place of the pin members or which may have the pin member secured thereto instead of to the supporting brackets and the latter may be provided with an elongated opening to provide suitable movement therein,

These and other changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a pair of coacting Contact members, of means for supporting one of said contact members and spring means for yieldingly supporting the other contact members for permitting the alinement of said contact members when in engagement, said first means comprising a pivotal connection between said one contact member and its supporting means per mitting displacement bodily in a lateral direction.

2. The combination with a pair of coacting contact members mounted for relative movement into and out of engagement along their joint longitudinal axis, of means for supporting one of said contact members and for ensuring the alinement of said contact members when in engagement, said means comprising a laterally disposed pin-and-slot connection between said one contact member and its supporting means.

3. The combination with a pair of coacting contact members, of means for supporting both of said contact members and for permitting the alinement of said Contact members when in engagement, said means comprising a pivotal connection between said one contact member and its supporting means permitting displacement bodily in a lateral direction and a spring connection between said other contact member and its supporting means.

4. The combination with a pair of coacting contact members of V-shape, of means for supporting one of said contact members and for permitting the alinement of said contact members when in engagement, said means comprising a reinforced iexble connection between said one contact member and its terminal and a slot and pin mounting of said contact member on its supporting means.

5. The combination with a pair of coacting contact members of V-shape, of means for supporting both of said contact members and for permitting the alinemcnt of said contact members when in engagement, said means comprising a pivotal connection between said one contact member and its supporting means permitting displacement bodily in a lateral direction and a flexible spring mounting between said other contact member and its supporting means.

6. The combination with a contact member of wedge shape and a pair of diverging relatively movable Contact members for engaging the said contact member, of a pivotal support for the first Contact member permittmg displacement bodily in a lateral direction and a yielding support for the pair of .contact members.

7. A contact member comprising in commember and yielding means for normally bination a contact member of wed e shape centering the second contact member. pivotally mounted upon a support 01` relay In v testimony whereof, I have hereunto l0 movement and displacement bodily in a latsubscribed my name this 22nd day of 5 eral direction, v a second movable Contact August, 1921.

member having relatively movable contact members for engaging the mrst Contact HERMAN KIMBALL ANSINGH. 

